The "tacos" we eat in the US are really Tex-Mex, I guess. In Mexico, the taco "shells", aka tortillas, are never hard and crisp. They are always soft.

I can't remember the last time I had one of those Ortega hard tacos. We only use tortillas, and lately only 6" corn tortillas.

I chopped up the leftover meat and added it to a mixture of jarred taco sauce, chopped onion and an array of peppers from my garden. We had some leftover bell pepper rice so a scoop of that went on the tortilla too. Sides were homemeade red beans and fried plantaines.

I would really like an authentic recipe though, if anyone has one. TIA

Sounds like what you are doing is pretty authentic to me. Practices vary by region here, but where we live, there is no real "recipe." You just take what you've got and put it in a hot, soft corn tortilla. Add salsa - at least 3 are usually offered here. One is salsa verde; another is a more picante salsa ranchera, and usually some version of a sauce with avocado - not guacamole, much more liquid than that. As for the meat, it could be chicken simmered in a spicy red sauce, fried chorizo, pork with verde or red sauce, or the local favorite - carne asada. That is just barbecued or grilled beef steak. It is made from paper-thin sliced steak, cooked very quickly and then cut up so fine it is almost minced. Our favorite taco place also has tacos with lengua (tongue) and birria (goat meat). I've never seen a taco here made with ground beef. Ground beef and pork are used to stuff poblana chiles, as in Chiles en Nogada, but generally not widespread or popular. Tacos pastor are also yummy, but take special rotisserie equipment, and tacos canasta are cooked ahead of time and wrapped in a towel, so they are steamed. For a taco "gordo" or "gordita" you use a slightly larger tortilla and swipe it through the sauce before it is filled.

And Uncle Bob? That catfish taco sounds wonderful...fish tacos are more prevalent up in the Baja area, but we have a few restaurants who serve them here.

For tacos, I always go to a street corner taco truck. 10 tacos for 10 bucks. Since I'm in LA there are taco trucks parked everywhere. There's never a shortage of them.
They also give you bags of chopped onions, cilantros, radishes, grilled peppers, lots of salsa, etc.... There's always more than enough condiments left over for use in other cooking during the week.

Jeekinz, here are two authentic recipes for taco fillings...the carnitas are wicked, but delicious beyond description. Use lard if you can get it. The chicken tinga is a very common taco/enchilada filling, and very good also. In my little town, the meat would be heaped on an open soft corn taco - two to a large plate - and then adorned with sliced onion, thinly sliced radishes, maybe some avocado, and lime wedges. Salsas on the side. You just fold the taco in half, gabbing it firmly to enclose all the goodies, and chomp away. Maybe some beans also on the side - not refried.